Solar panels naturally gather dirt and other contaminants on their collecting surfaces as a result of being installed outdoors. These contaminants block sunlight that would otherwise be used by the panel to produce electricity. In order to optimize solar panel electricity production, it is advantageous to periodically clean the surface of the panel.
Currently, solar panels are cleaned either manually or using a separate cleaning system that is attached to the tracker structure. Manually cleaning panels (i.e., using service personnel to clean the panels) is troublesome and expensive. For example, solar installs may be in remote areas making them difficult to travel to, cleaning may not be required on a regular basis making personnel planning and utilization difficult, and a large number of personnel may be required if the solar installation includes a large number of trackers. External cleaning systems where some sort of autonomous cleaning robot or system is added to the tracker can be expensive as well, because it requires installation, labor, and materials in addition to the tracker itself.
Also, solar panels produce less electricity as they get hotter. Actively cooling solar panels would improve their efficiency. Again, current solutions require the installation of a separate, additional cooling system, which adds cost in terms of installation, labor, and materials.
What is needed is a way to clean solar panels that minimizes or reduces the amount of labor and additional materials or components required. What is needed is a way to clean solar panels automatically.
What is needed is a way of actively cooling solar panels that minimizes or reduces labor and additional materials or components required.